Episode 50
Sparking a renaissance of trust with Stephen M. R. Covey
July 15, 2021
We live in a low-trust age, but that shouldn’t stop us from being the change the world needs. Trustworthiness and trustfulness are the foundations of a thriving work culture, and Stephen M. R. Covey has loads of practical advice for creating the environment that will enable organizations to thrive and win today and in the future.
Sparking a renaissance of trust: Key takeaways from episode 50
Stephen’s life work is in trust: how to build it, how it benefits us, and what to do when you need to repair it. In the time we’re living through today, there are few things I can think of that are more foundational to everything than trust. His book, The Speed of Trust, is a guidebook for today’s leaders.
A variety of factors have come together to drive record levels of talent turnover, and companies are really feeling the squeeze when trying to recruit and retain workers. A high-trust culture is essential, not just to attracting talent, but also inspiring people to stick around. In a high-trust culture, the leader trusts the team to deliver results and pursue the outcomes the organization is seeking. It’s less about telling people where and how to do work, and more about giving them the opportunity to rise to the occasion.
The best organizations work on trust from the inside out—it starts with the individual leader modeling trusting and trustworthy behaviors, and extends out to an internal culture of trust that translates into building trust with customers.
Be transparent by sharing your agenda. If people understand the reasons behind your behavior, they interpret you through that lens you’ve provided. When you appear to have a hidden agenda, they’re still going to ascribe intent to you, but it’s probably not the intent you wish to communicate. By declaring your intent, you teach people to see you differently.
When people feel that you care about them, they’re more likely to trust you. It’s important to do this all of the time, but it can be particularly powerful if you’re in a crisis situation and need to make a quick and deliberate move. Ensure that you genuinely care, and also that people experience that feeling.
We’re operating in a low-trust world, where everyone is becoming increasingly cautious because they’re afraid of being burned. We have the opportunity to turn this culture around, and it starts with each individual. Be deliberate about building trust with the people within your sphere of influence, using credibility as the foundation. Work on your own credibility, and allow that to radiate outward.
The nature of our digital world is that organizations are forced to be more transparent than ever, yet we’re less transparent to each other because we’re working on remote teams. It’s still critical to work on trust, and you need to be even more intentional about doing so. Be deliberate about clarifying expectations and agreeing to mutual processes of accountability.
In a culture of mutual trust, our differences become our strengths. As we focus on diversity and inclusion in organizations, the companies that will win in the future are those that leverage diversity as the source of creativity and innovation.
13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders
Complete the form to download your printable reference list of 13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders, as found in The Speed of Trust.
